The New Legacy
by ShiraBrie13
Summary: After the Jedi's defeat at Shedu Maad, Caedus continues his plans. But is it quite too late for the Dark Lord, or can he still be redeemed?


Dramatis Personae:

Jacen Solo, human male Sith.

Tenel Ka Djo, human female Jedi.

Allana Djo Solo, human female.

Shira Brie (Ghost), human female Sith.

Luke Skywalker, human male Jedi.

Leia Organa Solo Skywalker, human female Jedi.

Han Solo, human male Smuggler.

Mara Jade (Ghost), human female Jedi.

Tahiri Veila, human female Sith.

Ben Skywalker, human male Sith.

Others...

**Prologue**

Caedus walked swiftly down the halls of the Anakin Solo. He wasn't in a good mood, after the humiliating defeat at Shedu Maad and the aftermath with Jaina and his uncle and cousin. His cousin was currently locked up in the Embrace of Pain, and as Caedus drew nearer to his personal quarters, he could hear Ben's death screams. Tahiri was locked up in his bedroom, for want of any other place to put her after her betrayal and defection. Allana and Tenel were somewhere on Hapes, and his parents were battling for their lives back on Coruscant. Jaina and his uncle had escaped, much to his chagrin, but he had managed to wound Jaina possibly fatally and give his uncle something physical to think about. An officer passed, nervously touching his throat. All the personel on board any of the Dark Lord's Destroyers knew he enjoyed playing with his grandfather's favourite death method, and after the "inexplicable" death of Patra Tebut.

'It's fun to watch them squirm,' thought Caedus quietly to himself.

**Chapter 1**

Caedus palmed the door to his private quarters, and walked quietly to his room, where he found Tahiri scowling on his bed.

'Hello,' he said.

She growled.

'Being the proper little Tusken, aren't we?' he asked sneeringly. She shivered slightly, and sat up.

'What the kriff do you want, anyway?' she demanded. It had occurred to her, ever since she'd sensed him enter that, even if the flow walks were twisted to Caedus' own purposes, they still let her see Anakin, and she really did want that. They gave her some inward peace, even though not much was shown outwardly.

Caedus examined her face carefully, trying to see what she was thinking, but her outward careless in difference prevented him from telling if she was close to giving back in to the Dark Side. With Ben so close to breaking as well, Caedus would have two fine apprentices in one fell swoop. Once that was out of the way, he could focus on getting him and Tenel Ka back together.

'I want you as my apprentice again. You were doing fine.'

'If I'm behaving like a little Tusken, then I'll let you know flattery don't work on me,' Tahiri snapped.

'It isn't flattery. It's just the truth. You make a fine Sith, and I think you know that. The person who convinced you to fall back to light will soon be christened a hypocrite, because he is turning.'

'Only because you've tortured him non-stop for a week in your stupid writhing torture thing!' she cried back, and settled back to scowling.

Caedus gave a mock sigh. 'Get out of my room, go to the kitchen or something, or go visit your best friend Ben if you must. I need to sleep.'

She stalked out of the room, barefoot as ever.

Once Tahiri had left, Caedus quietly undressed and went to bed, wishing in his heart that Tenel Ka was there.

Arriving in the kitchen, as ordered, Tahiri felt bored then decided she was extremely silly not choose the Dark Side, then finally got up and went to see Ben.

Tahiri entered the torture chambers in bowels of the Anakin Solo with considerable trepidation. There were less officers around here, more guards from GAG instead. No one cared what she was doing, most of these men didn't know that she had defected, so they let her pass.

Ben was lying in front of the Embrace, its viper like tentacles streching over him. He was still being tortured, but he was too weak to scream.

'So much for talking with you,' Tahiri said out loud. He turned his head towards her slightly, and she met the green eyes that always made her feel slightly uneasy.

Ben had been in the Embrace for eternity, or so it seemed. The torture was endless; horrible and twisted. He had wondered how his cousin had made it through being tortured for an entire year. The darkness was always around him, always waiting to swallow him if he let his guard down for an instant. And for Ben, that was not very far away. He dreaded when he would finally let the darkness in, dreaded when he would let it twist his mind till he had no will of own left. And he dreaded having to watch and congratulate his cousin on his twisted deeds. Every other minute he idly wondered who his sacrifice would be, and what his name would be. Caedus, he thought, Caedus and Vader. Awful names.

He was glad to see Tahiri, and feel her newly welcomed light. It might banish his dark for a while. The end was inevitable, but, well...

'Are you alright?' Tahiri extended her hand to him.

He tried to say no, but it came out as a squeak, and he very slowly and painfully shook his head.

She continued reaching out, until the Embrace noticed her, and curled a snake around her wrist. She lent down, and bit it. The Embrace withdrew in puzzlement, and Ben gave a weak chuckle. She smiled back, encouraged, and bent down onto her knees, and started tugging at Ben's body, trying to pull him away. He sobbed out in pain, and slapped her away. She started to get angry, and after another try, gave up being nice and yanked him free. He screamed as an answer, and she hissed at him. 'Shut up, if you can't be useful. I don't want Caedus to hear us. We ain't going to get out of here, but I just want to show him what a threat we actually are.'

'No,' he muttered. 'Both my legs are broken, and so's my other arm.'

'Oh, right,' she sighed. In the darkness, she couldn't see the extent of his injuries, so she started to drag him out of the torture chamber and down the corridor. He carried on crying, and tried to push her away, but what little energy he had left died off, and he slumped to the ground. Tahiri carried on pulling, desperately trying to get them as far as she could.

They had gone a long way because for some reason the corridors were empty. Then they rounded a corner, and came face to face with the Dark Lord himself. Caedus was alone, that was good, but his eyes were a sulphuric yellow, that was bad, and he was smirking, that was worse.

'Hello,' he said, and the word sounded like the twisted laugh that came next. 'I hope you enjoyed your little show of defiance, and I hope Skywalker did to, because he won't be very merry soon.' Caedus walked over, and surveyed the teenager's broken body. 'Sad,' he murmured, 'But necessary.'

'What's necessary about it?' she snarled. Caedus' demeanour was getting on her nerves.

'Oh, nothing,' was the airy answer. He picked up Ben's body with the force, and Tahiri wondered why she hadn't thought of that.

'No idea,' Caedus replied to the silent question, that stupid smirk plastered on his face again.


End file.
